Last Saturday we helped Sadie to her final rest. She'd been failing all year, got markedly worse these past months and in the last four days ate practically nothing. We had been feeding her by the quarter to half teaspoon about every 3 or 4 hours but she consumed very little. She couldn't stand or walk very well and when she tried to get to a place to pee she had to lie down and rest and then she'd pee lying down.

It was hard. We buried Sadie in a sunny spot in the garden she liked to lie in but it was -2 and snowing and cold. Sadie, despite her long black coat, loved the heat. I wish it could have been warmer for her. Sadie used to get more and more energetic the hotter it got out in summer. It was clear she could not understand why no one wanted to drag string and long grasses for her to chase around the yard in 30C temperatures. Funny cat.

We think somebody dumped Sadie along a road near us. All of a sudden there she was on the OH's way to and from work where she'd never been before. Waiting for her family to come back and get her, we think. When I went out with him to see if we could catch her she was very skittish and I noticed she seemed to be limping. I was afraid she might have been injured by a car. When we finally did get her in a live trap, after some near misses with cars that the OH saw, I discovered her little feet were almost raw on the bottom. That's why she was limping. She spent her time walking up and down the sharp, rough gravel on the edge of the road, waiting for the car the dumped her to come back. I think.

As well, Sadie had groomed the burrs and sticky things out of her long coat to the point her tail was naked and she had very little fur. She was one of the most unattractive cats I've ever seen and her lack of coat showed up her very strange build, heavy shoulders, skinny hips, jutting ribs and huge black and orange eyes radiating fear and mistrust. Yet the day after we trapped her when I went out the garage, where we'd isolated her from our own cats, and took her breakfast one look was all I needed to know I could cuddle her and pet her and she was used to being a pet. Her huge eyes told me, they were still big and wary but also hopeful.

The Vet said Sadie was pregnant. Stupidly, I was thrilled. It's been a longtime since I had a litter of kittens. I rounded up prospective homes but kittens never materialized. Vet thinks her body may have aborted and then reabsorbed them in the time she was out on her own and starving.

A neighbour lady said she’d take Sadie in but we learned she lost her last cat to a car on the road. She’s closer to the highway than we are. That did it, Sadie stayed with us.

Sadie fit in so well in our house. She cuddled with Jet, put rude puppy Oban in his place when he came along. Only when she had taken all she could first. Same as she did with Itty Bitty Kitty, who came after Sadie. Bitty would push and push and push Sadie around till, regularly enough we noticed it was about every two weeks, Sadie would have had enough and she’d put the run on Bitty.

Sadie loved to play. Chase the stick, chase the string, hunt the paper ball. If we weren’t in the room when she wanted to play she’d call for us to come and darn well get playing. She had the weirdest call for that, it sounded for all the world like some jungle bird calling out. Visitors once thought we had a bird, no, that’s our Sadie-cat. LOL

Sadie had Cholangial Hepatitis. We thought we were going to lose her 14 years ago but the OH went into the Vet’s and sat with her and brushed her and the Vet’s think that’s what made her decide to live. She was mostly the OH’s cat because I belong to Bitty and I could not spend much affection or play on Sadie without Bitty beating her up. Regular meds have seen her through to now with a couple more scary times along the way but she made it every time.

I managed to drive into the Vet’s and back. I cried when we buried her. But I completely fell apart when I was making our bed later. Sadie used to “help” me make the bed. She thought it was great fun to run around under the sheets when I was putting them on. I always had to remove the fluffy black lump that squirmed in the middle under one sheet before I could put the next sheet or blanket down.

R.I.P.Sadie. We are going to miss you so much.

pbpatti

April 27th, 2013 10:21 AM

What a wonderful tribute:cloud9: Rest easy Sadie there is no more pain in your body. Sail to the Rainbow Bridge where you will find friends that have gone before you. :angel::angel2:

marko

April 27th, 2013 10:29 AM

Lovely tribute for sure LB :goodvibes: I can also feel the sadness in the text and I can relate to it easily.
Please accept my deepest condolences :sorry:

What a wonderful cat-mom you are.

:rip: sweet Sadie :candle:

Sincerely Marko

hazelrunpack

April 27th, 2013 11:08 AM

I can tell from reading your memorial how well-loved Sadie was, Longblades. She was very fortunate when she caught OH's attention that day! Sounds like you were meant to be her family as she was yours!

My heart aches for you. :grouphug: You're in my thoughts and prayers.

:candle: Sadie

Jull

April 27th, 2013 12:36 PM

She was lucky to find you and be in your life all this years.

Sorry for your loss :candle: :rip:

:2huggers:

Barkingdog

April 27th, 2013 07:23 PM

Sadie was a very lucky cat to have such a loving home , .RIP Sadie

Dog Dancer

April 28th, 2013 01:53 AM

LB, my condolences to you and yours. Sadie was surely loved for the time she shared your lives, and she surely loved you back. RIP sweet Sadie until you are together again.

lindapalm

April 28th, 2013 07:47 PM

You did an amazing job of keeping her alive and healthy for so long, she was a lucky girl to have found you.

growler~GateKeeper

April 28th, 2013 10:16 PM

:rip: sweet :angel2: Sadie :candle: She is playing at the [URL="http://www.indigo.org/rainbowbridge_ver2.html"]Rainbow Bridge[/URL] with those who've gone before :candle: :grouphug: